


The Lion and the Owl

by badlifechoices



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 23:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4980775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badlifechoices/pseuds/badlifechoices
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For months he’d been hunting her, following her every move but she’d always been just one step ahead of him all this times. She’d been taunting him, leaving little clues as to her whereabouts, love notes as Cassandra had called them jokingly. On a few occasions he’d almost caught her, instances when he stood eye to eye with Thedas’ most wanted thief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lion and the Owl

He’d found her.

For months he’d been hunting her, following her every move but she’d always been just one step ahead of him all this time. She’d been taunting him, leaving little clues as to her whereabouts, love notes as Cassandra had called them jokingly. On a few occasions he’d almost caught her, instances when he'd stood eye to eye with Thedas’ most wanted thief. She hadn’t been scared of him, had only flashed him that smile she used to bring lords and ladies to their knees, charming her way into the hearts of those she’d later liberate of their most valuable possessions. And he, like so many others, had fallen victim to this smile, forgetting all about his mission until she’d already used the opportunity to slip out of his grasp. It all had made him only more determined to find and finally arrest her.

Now he’d finally sniffed her out, cornered her in her hideout in Val Royeaux. The thought made his heart race more than it was supposed to, the excitement of completing this assignment mixed with something else that he couldn’t risk to explore. He didn’t even know her name, no one did. She was known as the owl, the one who soundlessly moved through the darkness and slipped through locked doors as though she was but a shadow herself. He’d never clearly seen her face either, only her eyes, peering out from under the hood of her cloak, glinting with mischief and barely hidden amusement. And the smile, the pale lips that never stopped teasing him.

Yet he’d found that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He was obsessed not with his orders but with that smooth voice that haunted him in the dead of night, in the depths of his dreams. More often than not he’d woken up and reached for someone in the darkness, who was miles away. He’d kept her notes, purely as evidence, he insisted whenever someone would mention it but secretly he knew that he wouldn’t hand them over to the judge. He’d read and re-read them, tracing the elegant handwriting with his fingertips like he could caress her instead of the cheap paper.

And there she was, only a few feet away from him, as always cloaked in shadow but he could feel her eyes resting on him, waiting for his move. “On the orders of the high judge, I’m arresting you for charges of theft and burglary.” His voice wasn’t as steady as he’d wished and he cursed himself for the way his words softened when he took a step towards her. “If you resist, I will have no other choice but to force you to come with me.”

She chuckled, her voice light and nothing about her stance or the way she tilted her head revealed that she was in any way scared of him. “You’ve found me.” The woman didn’t sound impressed at all, as though she’d been waiting for him to come and Cullen suspected that she actually had. Why? He wanted to ask her, why would she be this cocky, assuming that he’d let her escape again. The words died on his tongue when she moved, with a grace that only the elves possessed. She was approaching him. Like a cat stalking her prey, she stopped less than a foot away from the knight, eying him from under her hood.

“You didn’t shave your beard.” Frozen in his spot he couldn’t do anything but watch as her hand appeared from under her cloak and she reached to brush her fingertips over his chin. The touch made him shiver and he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Closing his eyes for a moment he tried to regain his composure, tried to force his limbs to move. He was here to arrest her, he had to follow his orders and bring her in. There was no way he could let her play with him like this. But his body was unwilling to obey and there was a part of him thatwas prepared to do anyything to make this moment last for just a little bit longer.

Any move of his could scare her away and he didn’t want that. He wanted to keep her, not as a prisoner but as someone he could be with, someone who would choose to stay by his side.Cullen knew that this was impossible. He had his orders and she was just toying with him like she did with so many others. Maybe she was curious but surely she didn’t feel the same burning desire that possessed him.

Her laugh rang in his ears and before he could stop himself he'd reached out, grabbing the cloth of her cloak and pulling back the hood. In the light of the torch he could, for the first time, clearly see her features. The sight was at the same time everything and nothing at all what he expected. His eyes traced the intricate lines of the markings that contrasted her pale skin. Even without the pointed ears that parted her dark hair one could clearly tell that she was elven folk from the delicacy of her features.

“Like what you see?” Her voce tore him from his thoughts and he quickly drew back his hand. She hadn’t moved, hadn’t tried to escape; she was just standing there, calmly, watching him as attentively as he had just studied the face he’d longed to see. Clearing his throat he barely got out the ‘yes’ that was burning his throat and he felt himself flush in embarrassment. This was a criminal and he was acting like a lovesick fool…

Her lips curled into a smile and before he could react she'd bridged the last bit of distance separating them. Standing on her tiptoes she brushed her lips over his. Her entire body was pressed flush against him, he could feel the warmth of her skin even through their clothes. Her hand was still on his face, gently caressing his cheek. For a second Cullen could do nothing but let it happen and when he finally had the mind to return the kiss, it was already over. Her touch disappeared and she backed off.

He shivered as the cool autumn air replaced her warmth. She reached for her hood, pulling it back into place and once again hiding her face from his view. Too late did he manage to gather his thoughts and realise that something was amiss. His hand flew to his hip, searching for the familiarity of the sword he always carried with him, only to notice that it was gone. Looking up, he found her perched on a low rooftop, looking upon the very same sword she was holding in her hands.

“You…” Suddenly he felt anger flare up in his chest. Of course, she’d fooled him again, using the moment of meaningless intimacy, to steal from him.

In the darkness he couldn’t see it but he was damned sure she was smiling when she spoke. “If you want it back, you’ll have to come find me.”

Cullen could only watch as she disappeared into the shadows of the night, leaving him once again empty handed. Next time, he promised her in his mind. Next time you won’t escape me. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I never thought I'd get this emotionally invested in this game but this little noodle head just went and stole my heart and I haven't even finished playing the game


End file.
